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The Olympic Effect

Author

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  • Andrew K. Rose
  • Mark M. Spiegel

Abstract

Economists are skeptical about the economic benefits of hosting "mega-events" such as the Olympic Games or the World Cup, since such activities have considerable cost and seem to yield few tangible benefits. These doubts are rarely shared by policy-makers and the population, who are typically quite enthusiastic about such spectacles. In this paper, we reconcile these positions by examining the economic impact of hosting mega-events like the Olympics; we focus on trade. Using a variety of trade models, we show that hosting a mega-event like the Olympics has a positive impact on national exports. This effect is statistically robust, permanent, and large; trade is around 30% higher for countries that have hosted the Olympics. Interestingly however, we also find that unsuccessful bids to host the Olympics have a similar positive impact on exports. We conclude that the Olympic effect on trade is attributable to the signal a country sends when bidding to host the games, rather than the act of actually holding a mega-event. We develop a political economy model that formalizes this idea, and derives the conditions under which a signal like this is used by countries wishing to liberalize.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew K. Rose & Mark M. Spiegel, 2009. "The Olympic Effect," NBER Working Papers 14854, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14854
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F19 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Other
    • L83 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Sports; Gambling; Restaurants; Recreation; Tourism

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